November 4, 2009

Seems to me there are three lessons for the GOP to be drawn from their loss in NY-23.

1. Get it right the first time. Party elites tried to foist a leftist candidate on the base. When the base rebelled and Scuzzyfavor proved a fool to boot, they doubled down. If they’d backed Hoffman from the beginning and spent the $1m they gave to Scuzz on his campaign (instead of mostly against him), they’d have won.

2. Candidates matter. Scuzzyfavor proved she was obviously not a good candidate by any stretch. However, I’d been hearing that Hoffman wasn’t a great candidate either. Soft-spoken, ineloquent, not much of a campaigner. It seemed in the end that voters liked the idea of Hoffman more than Hoffman himself. They’re still a little too smitten with used car salesman types to reliably vote for normal guys. Also, it probably didn’t help that he actually lives slightly outside the district in question after 2001 gerrymandering.

3. DIABLOs are not blindly loyal to the party. Why then should conservative Republicans be? For years, the GOP has told conservatives to back for centrist and leftist Republicans out of loyalty. Thus, they received Bushes, Doles, and McCains. As this election proves, that’s a losing strategy. Obviously, there was the Scuzzy backstabbing. More than that, though, it appears a number of non-conservative GOPers voted for Owens over Hoffman. If DIABLOs don’t buy into party unity, exactly why should conservatives?

In short, what the GOP needs to become is a decisively, unapologetically conservative party. Trying to be a “me, too” party only delivers victory to the Dems.

November 2, 2009

Over the weekend, leftist GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava withdrew from the NY-23 race. She then promptly endorsed the leftist Dhimmicrat.

Predictably, the AP and other so-called “news” organizations started crying loudly that this proved there was no room in the GOP for “moderates.” (I won’t dignify the opinion piece they pass as news with a link.) Get back to me when the Dhimmicrats have even one conservative – excuse me, “moderate” – in their Congressional caucus.

At any rate, this looks like a (smallish) win for Palin in positioning for 2012. She was the first to endorse Hoffman. Pawlenty eventually followed, but only after a “I don’t really know anything about the race” gaffe; makes him look like an opportunist. Gingrich lost big with his appeal to the wisdom of local party bluebloods. Romney neither hurt nor helped himself with his non-position.

There’s an avalanche coming. It’s up to the GOP to decide if it wants to be part of the landslide – or if it wants to be buried.

Once–until, oh, a year or so ago–the left used to insist that dissent was patriotic. Now that they are in power, they are indignant at the discovery that their power is not absolute. What a strange and insular bunch they are.

October 9, 2009

“The Republican Party has thrown in its lot with the terrorists – the Taliban and Hamas this morning – in criticizing the President for receiving the Nobel Peace prize,” DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse told POLITICO.

After spending eight years trying to find someone – anyone! – to challenge their patriotism, the Dhimms have spent the last eight months trying to find anyone whose patriotism they won’t challenge…